Letters

Is the right to property more valuable and important than the right to life?

Greetings to all proud residents of Mora County. My name is Nancy E. Quintana, Colombian by birth, lawyer by profession and now adopted daughter of Mora County. This letter is written in Spanish, mother tongue of the people of Mora.

I am writing this letter to acknowledge the professionalism of the emergency room staff at Alta Vista Hospital.

Last Tuesday, March 18, the staff at the San Miguel County Assessor’s Office began feeling ill with an odor in the office. I immediately contacted Les Montoya, San Miguel County manager, who took quick action and instructed us to go up to the county commission chambers.

I commend the Planning and Zoning commissioners for their willingness to listen to the viewpoints and information presented by the public at the recent open hearing. Recommending that the county commissioners take time to review the ordinance concerning oil and gas exploration in San Miguel County showed that they took seriously their responsibility as public officials responding to the concerns of people in the community. Such responsiveness in our public representatives is appreciated.

Like many residents of Mora County, I have many concerns about oil and gas development in Mora County. I am disturbed that oil and gas drilling is not adequately regulated at the state and federal level, and I’m especially upset about the loophole put in place ... that exempted fracking from certain environmental laws enforced by the EPA. I personally believe we need to restore and strengthen those protections.

The previous letter I wrote regarding the Amtrak stated that it was my understanding that New Mexico had purchased the rail line from Santa Fe to Raton. The letter in Friday’s paper (3/21) states the purchase was from Albuquerque to Lamy, I stand corrected.

This election year, two men from the Regensberg family are running for office. Benjie Regensberg is a candidate for the state house of representatives. On Jan. 15, 2001, Benjie was sworn in as a member of the legislature.

The ad run in the March 14 Optic, written by Jacobo and Valerie Pacheco, sets a tone that is very appealing but which at root is really sort of a fairy tale – the kind that ends with “and they lived happily ever after.”

Setting aside the fact that the Pachecos make their living by the selling and transporting of hydrocarbons (propane), the appeal for protection of “our magnificent and pristine lands” and “our very way of life” disregards a number of inconvenient facts.

My name is Ramón Lucero Jr. I am the President of El Valle Water Alliance, a consortium of 13 communities in western San Miguel County. On Tuesday, March 11, 2014, Gov. Martinez signed House Bill 55 2014 Work NM Act - Severance Tax Bond Projects.

What would you do if your loved four-legged family member got lost and could not find its way home? Monique Martinez of Albuquerque searched every alley, posted lost dog flyers, and worried about her Yoshi, a Catahoula mix, day and night. During their search for Yoshi, the family received a tip he had been struck by a vehicle and run off into the mesa. After exhaustive searches, his heartbroken family believed him to be dead. Martinez was devastated because she didn’t know if he was alive.

The 20th Annual Fiesta de la Hispanidad will take place in Ilfeld Auditorium on Friday, March 28 with doors opening at 6. Admission is $5. Advance tickets will be sold beginning March 24 with Donna Martínez at the KEDP radio station across the street from Ilfeld or at the door the night of the performance. The Fiesta de La Hispanidad thanks New Mexico Highlands University President Jim Fries, Las Vegas Community 1st Bank and the NMHU Foundation for their sponsorship. For more information, call 454-0438 or 454-3238..